A bitter blast of wind raced through the yard and tore the corner of the tarp that Randy had just finished wrestling with right out of his gloved hand. His breath went with it, so instead of shouting his curse, Randy thought it. The previous night’s dip in temperature had turned even the most flexible of products into immoveable rock. The plastic tarp was now as solid as sheet metal, the tiniest twig had become the most punishing crop, and though he’d only been in the yard for a few minutes, the joints of his fingers were frozen stiff. He lifted his hands to his mouth and blew breath through his cotton work gloves, first one palm, then the next, before giving his hands a shake and snagging the tarp again.
The nylon cord that had kept the tarp in place still rested in the same spot, but it
